Keg dumping device



March 1954 L. J. HAWKINS KEG DUMPING DEVICE Filed Aug. 5, I950 2Sheets-Sheet l [area fur March 23, 1954 J. HAWKINS KEG DUMPING DEVICE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 3, 1950 lllllllll fax E1725! \o [552/5 IHAW/(1N5- 5. W

Patented Mar. 23, 1954 KEG DUMPING DEVICE Leslie J. Hawkins, Golden, N.Y., assignor to Honan-Crane Corporation, Lebanon, Ind., a corporation ofIndiana Application August 3, 1950, Serial No. 177,529

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a keg dumping device, and moreparticularly to a device for unloading kegs containing nails, screws,bolts, nuts, pins, small parts machinedor to be machined, or any otheritems that might be conveniently packed in a keg, the device beinghighly desirable for use in a manufacturing plant to facilitate theemptying of kegs and the retention of the contents in a convenientlocation for a worker, although the invention may have other uses andpurposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the past, considerable diiiiculty has been experienced in the emptyinor dumping of kegs, especially in manufacturing plants where it isnecessary to retain the contents of the keg easily available to aWorkman utilizing such contents. I-Ieretofore, most of the dumping ofthe kegs was accomplished by hand, such procedure being dangerous to theworkmen, there was risk of injury to the parts by way of spilling, andan objectionable amount of time usually wasted in endeavoring to placethe dumped items in a handy location to the workmen. Obviously, if a kegwere disposed adjacent the workman it was necessary not only to knockout the end of the keg, but to remove all the customary nails holdingthat end so as to eliminate injury to the Workman.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instantinvention to provide a keg dumping device in which a full keg may beeasily disposed, and a part of the device readily rotated to quicklydump the contents of the keg.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a keg dumpingdevice, mobile in character, which is not only capable of readily dumpina keg, but which also may retain the parts dumped from the keg in ahandy hopper easily accessible by a workman, the entire device beingreadily movable from one location to another as may be desired.

It is also a feature of this invention to provide a keg dumping deviceincluding a rotatably mounted keg holding structure equipped with areadily accessible hopper to receive the contents of a dumped keg, andwherein the keg holding structure is easily elevated to any desired orsuitable height.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a kegdumping device having a rotatable cage or cradle for the reception of akeg to be dumped, and a hopper to receive the contents of the keg,whereby it is not necessary to remove or knock out the nails holding akeg head, but merely necessary to punch out the head of the keg.

2 Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of akeg dumping device embodying a rotatable keg holding cradle having abottom and an adjustable top which may be clamped over the open end of akeg, such top being provided with a suitable opening through which thecontents of the keg may pass when the cradle and the keg therein areinverted.

Also an object of the invention resides in the provision of a kegdumping device embodying a lift support readily movable to a desiredheight, and a keg holding cradle pivotally carried by that support, thesupport having latching or lockin means to maintain the cradle againstaccidental movement with either end of the cradle uppermost.

Still another feature of the instant invention resides in the provisionof a simply constructed, economical, highly durable and readily usablekeg dumping device, the device requiring only one man to operate it, andthe device maintaining the contents of the keg readily available at amost convenient height and location to a Workman.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantagesof the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will becomeapparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a pictorial illustration ofa ke dumping device embodying principles of the instant invention,showing a keg therein, after the keg has been dumped;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary pictorial illustration of the structure ofFig. 1, taken from the opposite side thereof, and illustrating theapparatus in position to receive a keg to be dumped;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through thekeg holding cradle and receiving hopper, taken substantially asindicated by the staggered section line III-III of Fig. 1, looking inthe direction of the arrows; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view illustratingthe mounting of the lift yoke and keg cradle, and taken substantially asindicated by the line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

-As shown on the drawings:

In the illustrated embodiment of this invention there is shown anupright supporting structure in the form of a frame l preferablyfabricated from angle iron. A subframe structure 2 is preferablyprovided on the side of the main frame to which a suitable winch 3 issecured as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. This winch may be manually operated bymeans of a handle 4 through a worm or other equivalent drive, and thesubframe prosame time functioning as an integralpart of the frame.Inside the frame is a substantially U-shaped lift yoke l, with the.bight at .thetop and connected to the end of a cable 3 attached:

to the aforesaid winch, the cable passing over suitable pulleys 9journaled in the top-member of the frame. As seen best in Figs. 3 and'4,each side leg of the lift yoke l is providedv with one or more flangedguide wheels or rollers l0, two: vertically spaced rollers beingillustrated. The fiangeportion ofeach such guide wheel overlies-theinner edges of the track railsS-B, while therbarrel portion of eachwheel extends between the track rails to ride against one or both of theconfronting-faces of the track rails. With. this construction; it willbe noted that the lift yoke may be readilyv elevated or loweredrelativelyrto the frame by means of the winch, the guide wheelsstabilizing the yoke and holding it steady during its upor down travel.Obvious- 1y; .with'the aid' of'the winch the yoke may be stoppedwat any:desired height'and retained. at that level indefinitely;

The 'liftyoke carries a suitable keg, holding cage or cradle I I, and inthe illustrated instancethis cradle '11 is of somewhat skeletonformation, being;suitably-fabricated from angle irons and-fiat bars;Asseen clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, one sidewall of the cradle ispreferably left open so that a keg. may readily be placed in and removedfrom the cradle. The cradle is also provided" with a pair of opposedoutwardly projecting trunnions [2, there being one mounted in:each sideof the cradle preferably centrally or'near'the center of gravity of thecradle. AS seen clearly in Fig; 4; these trunnions are journaled in therespective side legs of the lift yoke I so that the entire cradle isrotatable about theatrunnions relatively to the lift yoke. As also seenclearly in 'Figsyil and 4, one or both of the trunnionzcarrying sidemembers of the cradle is provided with a pair of apertures l3, one oneachnsideofthe trunnion. Each of these apertures'issized to receive theshank of a headed pin inserted through an aperture in the adjacent sideleg of the lift yoke i, and thus the cradle may be: locked or latchedin. fixed position with either end uppermost.

As 'seen clearly in Fig. 2, the cradle is preferably provided with asolid bottom I5 upon which a keg 16 may be initially seated when thedevice is in the position seen in Fig. 2.

A' top l1 isadjustably connected to the other end of the cradle, and inthe illustrated instance this top is maintained in position at thefront.

or loading side of the cradle by means of-apair of elongated bolts l8l8,and at their-ear side preferably; with only: a single similar bolt. 19;This cover IIis provided with a central aperturevzfl :-through which thecontents of the: keg

may; be dumped intoan outwardly andzdownrward-1y inclined-and: opentopped hopper 21 carried by: the cradle top: i 1.

As seen .clearlyin.v Figs.- 1 anzl=:3,:- this hopper projects outwardly;fromtheebodyyof thedevicewso" as to bewreadily;

4 accessible to a workman. Around the opening 20 the top I1 is providedwith an inwardly ex tending flange 22 positioned to circumscribe theadjacent end margin or rim 23 of a keg, and maintain the keg steadyduring the unloading or dumping thereof.

In operation, the instant invention is extremely simple and highlysatisfactory. Assuming that a new keg of material is needed, it issimply necessary to punch out the head of the keg, without regard to anyprotruding nails or other head holding means. The keg is thenplacedinthe cradle-l l with the open end uppermost, andwith-theapparatus in the position seen in-Fig. 2. When the keg is so positioned,the. adjustable. top 7 I! is clamped against the open end of the keg bymeans of the bolts l8 and" [9, spacers 24 being utilized if desired orneeded. It will be noted that the open end of the-keg is circumscribedby the aforesaid flange 22 so that the keg is firmlyheld in position.The entire devicemay-then be moved to any..desired location if such isnecessary, and when it-is de-. sired to dump the :keg it is a simplemeans-Itoelevatethe lift yoke by, means of thewinch 3.

so that the keg is disposed at any desired height. lhen. thepin I l maybe withdrawn, the cradle and: keg inverted,.and the pin reset in theother. aperture 13 of the: cradle. contents of the keg. pass through theopening :20 in the cradle top or cover it and cascade into the hopper 2!which will now be in. the position seen inFigs. l and 3.3 The keg:contents are readilyaccessible in a most convenient manner to asworkmanwho need only remove them in: any, desired quantity from the protrudingportion: of the hopperZ I.v Only one-man is needed to operate the entiredevice, and there iswno contingent danger to the operator ora-possibility of loss-byv spillage ofv contents. structure isextremelysimplein operation; highly eilicient and time saving in use,andiJmaybe economically manufactured.

It will-be understood that modificationsian'd.

variations may, be effected withoutdeparting fromthe scope of; the novelconcepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention a l. in a keg dumpingdevice, a supporting structure, alift support movable upwardly and down:- wardly. in saidstructure, a keg. holding, cradle pivotally mounted in said liftsupport; latch.

meanscarriedbysaid lift support to anchorsaid cradlein position witheither end: uppermostra bottom in saidcrade, an adjustable top in saidcradle. having a central opening therein, an inwardly, extending flangearound said opening: to

circumscribe the adjacent end margin cta kegv a bottom in said cradle,an'adj'ustable cover in:

said cradle-having an opening therein, and a'laterally extending hopperon said cradle in' communication with said openingsto'receivezthe con-Itents of a key upon inversion of the cradle.-

Upon inversion, .the

Further, the

3. In a keg dumping device, a support, a keg holding cradle rotatablymounted in said support, latch means to secure the cradle to the supportwith either end of the cradle uppermost, a bottom in said cradle, anadjustable cover in said cradle having an opening therein, an inwardlyextending flange on said cover around said opening to circumscribe theend margin of a keg on said bottom, and a laterally projecting inclinedhopper on said cradle in communication with said opening to receive thecontents of a keg upon inversion of the cradle.

4. In a keg dumping device, an upright supporting frame, means definingopposed tracks in said frame, a lift yoke, guide wheels on said yoke toride said tracks, a keg holding cradle, opposed trunnions on said cradlejournaled in said lift yoke, latch means on said yoke to secure saidcradle in position with either end uppermost, means to elevate and lowersaid lift yoke, a hottom in said cradle, a cover having an openingtherein, means to clamp said cover over a keg in said cradle, and alaterally extending opentopped hopper connected with said cover toreceive the contents of the keg.

LESLIE J. HAWKINS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 419,006 Fisher Jan. 7, 1890 791,367 Reynolds et a1 May 30,1905 1,019,550 Stavely Mar. 5, 1912 1,150,317 Timmons Aug. 17, 19151,186,318 Kohn June 6, 1915 1,627,490 Disibio May 3, 1927 1,854,973 BellApr. 19, 1932 2,335,572 Schroeder Nov. 30, 1943

